Ellesmere Trees Spared After Residents Respond

By Hiyastar News Desk

Four trees on the Promenade area of Cross Street in Ellesmere will remain in place after Shropshire Council reviewed responses to a public consultation on their proposed removal.

The council had been considering taking out the trees because root heave had contributed to uneven footway surfaces and trip hazards. The original plan was to remove the trees, repave the Promenade area and add new seating and planters.

After considering consultation feedback and the strength of local feeling, the council has now decided the trees should stay. The focus will shift to dealing with the condition of the pavement while retaining the trees in the town centre space.

Four Promenade Trees Will Stay

The affected trees are on the Promenade area on Cross Street, a visible part of Ellesmere’s town centre public realm. Their proposed removal had been linked to the condition of the footway rather than a wider redevelopment scheme.

Shropshire Council said the problem involved “root heave”, where expanding tree roots push soil upward and can damage paving. In practical terms, that can create raised or uneven surfaces, making a pavement harder to use safely, especially for older residents, wheelchair users, parents with pushchairs and people with limited mobility.

The decision means the council is no longer proceeding with the removal proposal as consulted on. The trees will remain while officers look again at how the footway issues can be addressed.

Pavement Safety Remains The Main Issue

The council’s updated position does not mean the safety problem has disappeared. The footway condition and ongoing root movement still need attention, but the work will now be considered around the retention of the trees.

That distinction matters for residents and businesses using Cross Street. The earlier proposal would have changed the look and feel of the Promenade area by removing the trees before repaving and installing new seating areas and planters. The revised approach keeps the existing trees as part of the street scene while the council works through pavement safety options.

For a town centre location, the balance is familiar: trees can provide shade, character and a softer public space, while their roots can create maintenance problems in older paved areas. The consultation outcome shows that local response was strong enough to change the direction of the scheme.

Consultation Feedback Changed The Proposal

Shropshire Council said the decision followed a review of consultation responses and consideration of the strength of feeling expressed. The authority thanked everyone who took part.

The source notice did not publish a breakdown of how many responses were received or list the specific alternatives suggested by residents. It confirms the result of the consultation process: the four Cross Street trees are to remain.

The case is a small but direct example of a public consultation affecting a visible local decision. Residents were asked about a proposal that would have changed a familiar area, and the council’s final position moved away from removal after feedback was reviewed.

Next Work On Cross Street

The next stage is for Shropshire Council to look at how to deal with the uneven footway and the continuing effects of root heave while keeping the trees in place.

No timetable for the revised works was set out in the council notice. The practical question for Cross Street users will be how quickly the pavement safety concerns can be resolved and what form the repairs or redesign will take.

Until further details are published, the confirmed position is that the four trees on the Promenade area of Cross Street, Ellesmere, will remain, and the council will seek a way to improve safety around them.

Source: Shropshire Council Newsroom